Golf club including hole alignment means and golfer&#39;s head positioning means



May 31, 1966 J. c. FORD 3,253,829

GOLF CLUB INCLUDING HOLE ALIGNMENT MEANS AND GOLFERS HEAD POSITIONING MEANS Filed April 26, 1962 INVENTOR. Jase/ H C- FORD 'to benefit fully from using the device.

3,253,829 GQLF CLUB INCLUDING HOLE ALIGNMENT MEANS AND GOLFERS HEAD POSITION- ING MEANS Joseph C. Ford, 145 Pinckney St., Boston, Mass. Filed Apr. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 190,482 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-163) The invention relates to-an improved golf training aid and, more particularly, to one which forms an attachment for a golf club in order to provide proper positioning of the user with the club and also to provide proper orientation of the club with respect to the ball.

Golf sighting devices and aids previously utilized have required either the proper position to be assumed by the golfer or a proper orientation of the golf club in order For the beginner in golf, elimination of any of these problems better permits his concentration to be devoted to the myriad points necessary to provide the desired result.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an arangement which results in an improved golf training aid.

It is another object of this invention to provide a golf training aid that facilitates proper positioning of a golf club and golfer.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a golf training aid which facilitates the proper positioning of a golfers head and arms when he is addressing a golf ball.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a golf training aid which enables a golfer to avoid a slice.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a detachable golf training aid which may be removed when its training aid function is no longer needed.

- It is an additional object of this invention to provide a golf training aid which is easily attached to conventional golf clubs.

Another object of this invention involves the production of a golf training device which aids in the proper positioning of the golf club relative to a golf ball in order to fix the direction of the ball when struck.

Still another object of this invention involves the provision of a golf training aid that is mounted relatively high on a golf club shaft, thereby minimizing errors in sighting.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a golf training aid that is simple and economical to produce by mass production manufacturing techniques.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a golf club combined with a first and second sighting means for alignment with respect to the hole and positioning the golfers head respectively. The first sighting means comprises an elongated body secured to the club shaft and oriented parallel to the sole plane of the club head to indicate the direction of flight of the ball. The second sighting means comprises an elongated body fixedly secured to the first sighting means so that it lies in a vertical plane therewith. The longitudinal axis of the second sighting means is also vertically oriented with respect to the sole plane of the club head. The first and second sighting means are positioned approximate to the upper end of the golf club shaft so that the second sighting means is behind the club head and directly below the desired position of the golfers head. I

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

United States Patent FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the golf training aid of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the golf training aid of the present invention illustrating its attachment to a golf club; and

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the golf training aid of the present invention illustrating the position of a user.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, there is shown the elements forming the golf training aid attachment. The body portion 10 of the golf training aid has a groove 11 to receive a club shaft. A clamp element 12 has a shaft receiving portion 13 and a pair of outwardly extending portions 14 and 15. A pair of holes 16 and 17 in the outwardly extending portions 14 and 15 provide clearance for clamp screws 18. The body 10 has tapped, blind holes therein for receiving the screws 18 in order to draw clamp element 12 toward the body portion -to secure a golf club shaft between grooved portions 11 and 13.

A longitudinally oriented hole in body 10 houses a first sighting means or direction indicator 19, such that it will be substantially perpendicular to a golf club shaft and oriented parallel to the sole plane 27 of the club head 28 to indicate direction of the flight of the ball 26. The

end of direction indicator designated as 20 extends from the body 10 in one direction and is of a generally pointed configuration.

Extending from the body 10 in a direction opposite to that of the generally pointed portion 20 is a sighting rodor tube supporting portion 21 to which a sighting rod or tube 22 is secured. The sighting element 22 may be either solid or hollow. This second sighting means, rod or tube 22, is in a vertical plane with respect to the direction indicator 19. The longitudinal axis of rod or tube 22 is likewise vertically oriented with respect to the sole plane 27 of the club head 28.

A tapped hole 23 which intersects with the hole in the body 10 that houses direction indicator 19 is provided for receiving a set screw 24 which engages the direction indicator in order to fix its position.

In FIGURE 2 the golf training aid is shown clamped to a golf club by securing the shaft 25 thereof between grooved portions '11 and 13 of the body 10 and clamp element 12, respectively, by means of clamp screws 18.

A golf professional clamps the training aid to the club shaft 25 in a position depending upon the pupils height and reach or' arm length. When properlypositioned, the direction indicator 19 lies horizontal to the ground and points to the direction of flight of golf ball 26. The longitudinal axis of the sighting rod 22 is vertically oriented with respect to the sole plane of the golf club head or on level ground is positioned perpendicular to the ground directly below the desired head position of the golfer, thereby simultaneously to position the golfers head and maintain proper orientation of the club shaft in the plane perpendicular to the ground. The sole plate of the club is then maintained parallel to the surface of the ground and in contact with it. An indicator mark 27 (in FIGURE 1') on the body '10 is either-set with respect to one of a series of marks (not shown) on the direction indicator 19 or alternatively, a mark is made on the direction indicator 19 to facilitate accurate resetting of the training aid. Similarly, the shaft of the golf club 25 and the golf training aid may be marked to assure resetting of their relative positions.

As shown in FIGURE 3 a golfer, either a novice or one desiring to correct a difiiculty, after placing the club behind the ball, orients the direction indicator 19 horizontal with respect to the ground and pointing in the desired direction of flight such that the sighting rod or tube 22 is perpendicular to the ground or'a substantially horizontal plane where the ground is rough. With the golf club properly oriented, the golfer then assumes his stance so that his head is over the sighting rod or tube 22. The golfers head is then behind the ball and his left hand is forced to become an extension of the club while his right elbow is automatically drawn into a close position at his right side. Thus the clubhead will be swung on an inside-out path going back and on the down swing, thereby eliminating the errors that lead to slicing.

The golf training aid, except for the conventional clamping and set screws, may preferably be made of a light plastic, although metal or even wood would be within the scope of the inventive concept.

Additionally, a soft material may be used in the grooved portions 11 and 13 in order to avoid marring of the golf clubshaft when a hard metal is used as the material for the golf training aid attachment.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the prefered embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious. to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and, it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a golf club having a shaft with a club head on its lower end, said club head having a striking face at an angle to the sole plane of said club head to define the front face thereof, a first sighting means comprising an elongated body on said shaft oriented parallel to the sole plane of said golf club head to indicate the direction of flight of a golf ball, and a second sighting means comprising an elongated body fixedly secured to said first sighting means to lie in a vertical plane therewith, the longitudinal axis of said second sighting means being vertically oriented with respect to the sole plane of said golf club head, said first and second sighting means being positioned proximate to the upper end of said golf club shaft such that the said second sighting means is behind said golf club head and directly below the desired head position of a golfer.

2. The combination described in claim 1 wherein said second sighting means is an open tulbular element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,536,512 5/1925 McLaren 273194 X 1,804,421 5/1931 Klopsteg 3346 X 2,771,678 11/1956 Hansen 273163 2,822,614 2/1958 Susinno 273-163 X 2,898,109 8/1959 Williams 273163 2,910,297 10/1959 Bonetate 273l62 X 2,941,296 6/ 1960 Grandt 33-46 2,981,000 4/ 1961 Long. 3,033,574 5/1962 Partridge 273l63 3,042,409 7/ 1962 Johnson 273164 3,070,373 12/1962 Mathews et a1. 273183 3,118,678 1/1964 Rohr 273-163 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,608 1904 Great Britain.v

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. EVON C. BLUN-K, G. I. MARLO, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A GOLF CLUB HAVING A SHAFT WITH A CLUB HEAD ON ITS LOWER END, SAID CLUB HEAD HAVING A STRIKING FACE AT AN ANGLE TO THE SOLE PLANE OF SAID CLUB HEAD TO DEFINE THE FRONT FACE THEREOF, A FIRST SIGHTING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY ON SAID SHAFT ORIENTED PARALLEL TO THE SOLE PLANE OF SAID GOLD CLUB HEAD TO INDICATE THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT OF A GOLF BALL, AND A SECOND SIGHTING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID FIRST SIGHTING MEANS TO LIE IN A VERTICAL PLANE THEREWITH, THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SECOND SIGHTING MEANS BEING VERTICALLY ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO THE SOLE PLANE OF SAID GOLF CLUB HEAD, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIGHTING MEANS BEING POSITIONED PROXIMATE TO THE UPPER END OF SAID GOLF CLUB SHAFT SUCH THAT THE SAID SECOND SIGHTING MEANS IS BEHIND SAID GOLF CLUB HEAD AND DIRECTLY BELOW THE DESIRED HEAD POSITION OF A GOLFER. 